William allen



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l W. ALLEN.

STARGH WASHING MAGHINE.

Patented Apr. 3, 1883.

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m wt/L S. Phoivuihngrapher, Washington. D (L (No Model.) 2 Sheets Sheet 2.

W. ALLEN.

STAROH WASHING MAGHINE. I No. 275,319. Patented Apr. 3, 1883.

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4 .starch,glucose, orgrape-sugar, and its object is line form, and is composed mainly of like cy- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM ALLEN, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ANDREW M. JOHNSTON, OF SAME PLACE.

STARCH-WASHING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 275,319, dated April 3, 1883,

Application filed July 27, 1882. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM ALLEN, a citizen of the United States, residingin the city of Rockford, in the county of Winnebago and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Starch-Washing Machine, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the manufacture of to wash the ground or reduced material containing the starch in such a manner as to separate the starchJ'ronrthe bran-shacks or other refuse matter and hold it in a free water solution. To this end I have designed and constructed the washing-machine represented in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a plan view of a washing-machine embodying my invention, of which Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is an end elevation. Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section on dotted line ac. Fig. 5 is a lengthwise vertical central section on'dotted line 3 of a portion of the machine, and Fig. 6 is an isometrical representation of arotary fan-like agitator.

As represented in the drawings, my improved washing-machine is cylindrical in outlindrical sections A, preferably produced in castings in hollow cylindrical sections, and except the one end section, B, are each provided with a head, 0, in one end, which heads, on their outer portions, are provided with a series of openings or perforations of any suitable or convenient form, substantially as represented in head U in Fig. 4. The inner surfaces of these cylindrical sections are at proper intervals provided with inward-projectin g radial ribs a, extending lengthwise of the sections. The ends of these several sections are provided which are provided at proper intervals with sufficient screw-bolts, by means of which, in connection with suitable packing placed between, the flanges are secured to each other, producing close joints. This cylinder produced from these sections is provided with heads D, of suitable dimensions to engage the ends of the cylinder, and are connected or joined to its ends in the same manner that the several sections are joined to each other by means of the usual screw-bolts and joint-packing. The heads of this cylinder are provided with flanged feet E, on which it is supported, and by means of which it may be fixed in position to the floor or supporting-frame by means of suitable screw-bolts.

At 0 are represented suitable stuffing-boxes, of the usual construction, formed upon the outside and axial center of the heads D. These stuffing-boxes are designed to receive an axial shaft supported in the axial center of the cylinder.

At F are represented arching supports fixed to the heads D and projecting outward there from. These supports are fitted with-journalbearings (I to receive the journals of an axial shaft to revolve therein.

At H is represented a shaft of suitable dimensionsandconformation,having its end portions produced in journal form. This shaft is placed in the axial center of the cylinder, having its journal-formed end portions passed through the stuffing-boxes, and supported to revolve in the bearings (7, formed in the arching supports. At 6 are represented spider-formed hubs fitted to receive the axial shaft H within the cylinder. One of these hubs is placed upon the shaft H in each section of the cylinder, and is securely fixed in position thereon. These several spider-formed hubs are provided with tangent arms h, projecting therefrom at equal quarter divisions. The faces of these tangent arms are slightly inclined to the axis of the shaft.

At k are represented fan-like agitatingblades slightly curved, having their inner ends securely fixed to the inclined face of the tangent arms h, which connection places the forward convex face of the blades oblique to the axis of the shaft.

At K is represented a suitable belt-pulley, which is mounted upon the end portion of the shaft H. This pulley is designed to receive a suitable belt employed to connect it with a prime mover in a manner to impart a rotary movement of the shaft, causing it to revolve to impart a rotary movement to the fan-blade roe through which the materialeontaining the starch is admitted into the cylinder to be washed. In this instance the induction-pipe is placed near the bottom of the cylinder; but, if preferred, it may be placed in the position represented by the dottedlines, or in any other position, preferably, however, in the end or head of thecylinder.

At 1? is represented an outlet dischargepipe placed in the end of the cylinder, near the bottom thereof. Through this pipe the contents of the cylinder are discharged, to be 1 conveyed to the starch-separating sieves.

In the use of my improved washing-machine the agitating fairlike blades are made to revolve at quite a high velocity. The ground or otherwise reduced starch-containing material to be washed, being wellsaturated with water, is introduced to the machine through the induction-pipe N in contact with the rotating agitatingfan-like blades, the action of which 'Wlll by means of centrifugal force throw it against the longitudinal radial ribs of the cylinder. This action, with other agitation ofthe contents of the cylinder, produced by the ro-' tary agitator, will cause a separation of the starch from the bran-shacks or other refuse material, producing a starch-water solution, and by reason of the oblique position of the agitating rotary fan-like blades relatively with the axis of the cylinder the material will be forced lengthwise in the cylinder through the openings in the inner heads or transverse division-walls into the adjoining chamber, to be operated upon by another set of rotating agitating fan-like blades in like manner, which action will be repeated in its passage through each section of the cylinder, and the contents of the cylinder, having passed through its several chambers and being thoroughly washed, will be discharged through the outlet-pipe P, to be conducted to the separating-sieves.

In this instance I have represented my improved washer as constructed of a certain number of sections; but these may be varied by increasing or lessening their number to adapt the machine to the requirements of the party using it. Instead of the machine being placed in a horizontal position, it may be iiiclined,being lowestat its dischargeend, which will facilitate the discharge of its contents; or it may be inclined in the opposite direction, whlch will operate to retard the discharge and insure a more thorough washing.

My improved washer is also capable of use placed on end, and by a suitable inclination of the fan-like blades, when employed in this position, the material to be washed may be fed to the cylinder, either at the lower or upper end, and discharged at its opposite end.

In the use of my improved machine the washing may be made more thorough by a continued additional supply of water introduced into the cylinder during the process ofwashing.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a starch-washing machine, the combination, with a cylinder having radial lengthwise ribs projecting from itsinner concave surface, and provided with an inlet and an outlet orifice or pipe, of an agitator rotating within the cylinder, said agitator having its fan-like blades oblique to its axis of rotation, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a starch-washing machine, a cylinder composed of separate sections forming compartments, the heads of which form transverse division-walls, and which heads are provided with a series of suitable openings or perforations, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a starch-washing machine, a cylinder consisting of sections and end heads, each section, except one of the end sections, provided with a head, said heads provided with suitable openings or perforations, the several sections and the end heads suitablyjoined to each other, producing a cylinder with closed ends divided into separate compartments, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a starch-washing machine, a cylinder composed of separate sections forming compartments, the heads of which form transverse division-walls, which heads are provided with suitable openings or perforations, in combination with the agitators mounted to revolve Within said compartments, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. A starch-washing machine substantially WILLIAM ALLEN. Witnesses R. W. EMERSON, A. O. BEHEL. 

